Machine for making articles from sheet material



MACHINE FOR MAKING ARTICLES FROM SHEET MATERIAL Filed Dec. 19 1921 4 Sheets-\Sheet 1 \5 J 6 i l I i v I 2\ F L- 3 70 -f 1050 5? g 7 76 5/ 3 A! 75 77 2/ I April 15 1924.

E. L. LAKE MACHINE FOR MAKING ARTICLES FROM SHEET MATERIAL 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 Filed Dec. 19

April 15 1924. 1,490,511

E. L. LAKE MACHINE FOR MAKING ARTICLES FROM SHEET MATERIAL Filed Dec. 19 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Kill/aka @W my April 15 1924. 1,490,571

' E. L. LAKE MACHINE FOR MAKING ARTICLES FROM SHEET MATERIAL Filed Dec. 19 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Federated Apr. 15, @241.

names stares FATENT @EFFHECE.

FMSWORTH I. LAKE, F MONROE, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE WEIS FIBRE GUN- TALNER CORPORATION, OF MONROE, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF S OUUHE DAKOTA.

MACHINE FOR MING- ARTICLES FROM SHEET MATERIAL.

Application filed. December 19, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELLSWORTH L. LAKE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Monroe, Monroe County, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Machines for Male ing Articles from Sheet Material, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machinery for making paper buttenplates'or other similar articles from sheet material.

Generally stated, the object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved construction whereby the small butter plates or other articles are rapidly cut and formed from the paper or other sheet material, and are pressed together in a stack or practically a solid mass, and are preferably forced into a tube or other container, whereby the tube with the compressed plates or other articles therein is adapted to be sealed at each end for shipment of the plates or other articles, so that between the making of the plates and the time when they reach the consumer they are not handled and will arrive in clean and satisfactory condition.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features of construction and combinations tending to increase the general efficiency and the desirability of a machine of this particular. character and for this particular purpose.

To this and other useful ends, the invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and claimed, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,-

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a machine embodying the principles of the invention, showing certain portions thereof in vertical section.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, but showing the forming means in a different position.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical detail section on line 44 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line 5-5 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the forming means.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view of a portion of the forming means.

Serial No. 523,44l9.

Fig. '8 is a plan of one of the completed butter plates or small dishes made by said machine.

Fig. 9 is a section on line 9-9 in Fig. 8.

As thus illustrated, the invention comprises a horizontal table 1, upon which are mounted upright guides 2 having bearings 3 at their upper ends for the transfer shaft 1, which is operated by power in any suitable or desired manner to actuate the forming means of said machine. Said shaft has a crank connected by a pitman 5 with the cross head 6, which slides up and down on said guides 2, the latter having a hollow die member 7 removably secured by a bolt or other means 8 thereto, said die member being tubular in form and having its head or lower end portion formed externally with corrugations or fluting 9 for a purpose which will hereinafter more fully appear. The table 1 is also provided with uprights 10 of any suitable character, upon which are pivoted links 11, and the tubular die member 7 is provided with cars 12, upon which are pivoted toggle links 13, as shown in the drawings. The links 11 and 13 are pivotally connected at 14, at each side of the forming means, and links 15 are pivoted at 14 at their upper ends and at 16 at their lower ends on ears 17 of the collar 18 which surrounds the lower end portion of the tubular die member 7 previously mentioned. Preferably, as shown more clearly in Fig. 6, the cars 17 are formed integral with the ring 19, which is screw-threaded internally at 20 to receive the ring or collar 18, which is screwed-threaded externally, whereby this ring or collar, which has a smooth bore or interior surface, is adapted to be adjusted up and down on the toggle mechanism by which it is supported. The lower ed e of the collar or ring 18 is extended slight y downward and sharpened at 21 to form a. circular knife or cutting edge which 00- operates with the stationary and ring-like knife 22 supported in the table 1 in any suitable or desired manner, the ring-like knife 22 being larger and ada ted to telescope over the lower end of t e collar 18 in the manner shown, whereby the sheet of paper 23, or other sheet material, will be cut in the desired manner to form a disk like blank, which is afterward pressed or formed into the butter dish shown in Fig. 8, which is done by the dies as follows: Immediately inside. of the ring 22 is another ring 24, which is provided with corrugations or fluting 25 on its inner surface, it being observed that the corrugations 9 and the corrugations 25 are adapted to come together as shown in Fig. 7, so that the edges of the disk or blank formed from the sheet of paper are first turned up and then corrugated or fluted by the dies in the manner shown. This is because the links 13 push the pivotal points 14 outward, in the manner shown in Fig. 2, causing the ring-like cutting member 18 to descend first and cut the paper, as shown in Fig. 6,'being nearly the limit of downward movement of said member. After that, as shown, the die member 7 moves downward with the die member 24 to form the edge portions of the paper butter-plate which constitutes the product of manufacture shown and described.-

As a matter of further and special improvement, and with a view of producing a package of a certain form, comprlsing a tube containing the butter plates packed or compressed therein, a tubular guide 26 1s secured vertically in position to receive the plates from the forming means. This guide is preferably flared internally at its lower end, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2, and

supporting rods 27 are provided and arranged to extend downwardly from below the table 1 to provide a support for the vertically adjustable shelf or member 28,

its lower end clos which is slidable up and down on said rods,

and which has a thumb screw 29 by which it may be secured in adjusted position thereon. With this arrangement, the paper tube 30 may be placed in osition, as shown, with p .or obstructed by the shelf or support 28, and with its upper end firmly held in position to receive the butter plates as fast as they are made by the forming means. The said plates are cut out and formed and pressed downward into the tube 30 until the latter is filled apparently, but the operation then continues until the plates are pressed or packed so tightly together that practically no room is left between them. In this way, therefore, a practically ormed inside of the tube or container 30, so that when the latter is removed the lates do not fall out. The tube30 can then sealed at each end, and can be shipped as the product of manufacture of the machine, so

that the plates will arrive in clean and satisfactory condition at the place where they are to be used. The tube 30 isof such size that it keeps the plates 31 in the roper shape, and prevents the plates from attening out, the plates being held in position with their turned up and fluted or corrugated edges nested together, so that the plates do not have any opportunity to flatten out after leaving the forming means.

Means are desirably provided for feeding the paper 23, or other sheet material, and such feeding means are preferably of a character to feed two or more sheets superposed one upon the other, so that a plurality of plates or dishes are formed by each downward stroke of the upper cutting means and forming die, thus increasing the output or capacity of the machine. For this purpose, therefore, the crankshaft 4 is provided at its outer end with acrank 32 upon which is supported a pit-man 33 which is pivotally connected at its lower end with a bell crank 34 suitably mounted on brackets 35 supported on the table of the machine. This bell crank is connected by a link 36 with a pivoted jaw 37, the latter having a toothed under portion 38 held thereon in any suitable or desired manner, so that the pivoted member 37 serves as a ratchet dog to feed the paper or other sheet material forward in a step-by-step manner. The member 37 is pivoted on the slide 39 at 40, so that this member 37 swings up and down about a transverse axis to engage or disengage the paper or other sheet material. The slide 39 is adapted to reciprocate or move back and forth on the guide plate 41 suitablysecured to the under side of the table. The plate 42 is yieldingly held against the under side of this guide by springs 43 on the bolts 44, which are inserted upwardly in the slide. To limit the upward movement of the member or feed dog 37, a bolt'45 is inserted downwardly in the slide 39, through an ear 46 in the feed dog, and a sprin 47 is in-' serted between the head of sai bolt and -the top of said ear, whereby the latter is free to move up and down on said bolt, be-

ing normally held down by the tension of said spring. When a push is exerted on the link 36, the feed dog 37 is ress'ed downward, and the slide 39 moves orward, thereby moving the paper forward one step to bring it into position to be acted upon by the previously described forming means. Then, when a pull is exerted on the link 36, the dog 37 and the slide 39 are moved backward, and this pull lifts the feed dog 37 sufliciently to prevent the teeth of the plate 38 from dragging on .-.the surface of the aper. To prevent ackward movement of t e paper or other sheet material, after it has moved forward, a detent or holding dog 145 is provided. and pivoted at 146 to swln about a transverse axis, and to drag on 0 paper and permit forward motion thereof, ve freely, but in a manner to .when the reciprocatin feed mechanism is operated backward in t e manner described.

prevent bac ward movement oftlie paper mascara I A plate 47 is disposed over the table 1, low enough to rest on the sheet of paper, and isheld in this position by the device 48, which is movable up and down in a guide 49 by a handle 50, but which is held normally down by a spring 51 on the stem of said handle in said guide. Said plate has an opening 52 for the annular cutting member or knife 18 previously described. The paper, in one or two or three, or any number of thicknesses, depending upon the thickness of the paper, slides under the plate 47 and is held down in place by this arrangement, so that the paper cannot buckle or move out of place.

With further respect to the forming means, it will be seen that the upper die or forming member 7 is carried by a holder 53 which has an upwardly extending stem 54; that enters a socket 55 in the cross head 6, said stem being removably held in place by a set screw 56 or other suitable means. Said die or upper forming member 7 is held tightly on the lower stem 57 of said holder 53, and can be forced off or detached for repair or substitution. The ring 19 previously mentioned is preferably, as a matter of further and special improvement, provided with guides 58 which slide up and down on rods 59 suitably mounted on the table of the machine. The guide 26 previously described can be held in place in any suitable or desired manner, as by providing it with cars 60, through which bolts 61 are inserted upwardly and into the top of the machine. With this construction, the forming means can be easily taken out and re placed by similar means for making some other paper article, or some article to be. made from sheet material. means are powerfully actuated to punch and form the paper into the butter, plates or other articles, and the forming operation, to be seen, serves also to automatically force the plates into the tube 30, which forms a part of the ultimate product or package to be manufactured and sold to the user.

it will be seen that the proportions of the different parts and the arrangement of them are such that the die member 7 has a greater extent of movement than the ring-like cutting die 18, being adapted to reciprocate up and down therein. in this way, the cutting operation and the forming operation are so close together that they constitute practically one operation. The paper or other sheet material, of course. is stationary at the time that the ring-like cutting knife ongages the upper surface thereof, the feeding movement of the paper occurring while the upper and cutting forming dies are in their raised positions.

Regarding the cutting and forming of the sheet material, it will be seen that the linlela 13 push the pivotal points 14 outward far The forming enough to cause the ring-like cutting member 18 to descend and cut the paper, as shown in Figure 6, and to then move a little farther downward until the lower edge'of the ring 18 rests upon the sheet material, as shown in Figure 2, thus clamping the cutout section of sheet material firmly in place at the beginning of the forming operation which follows, of course, as soon as the lower end of the member 7 engages the sheet material.

-What I claim as my invention is:

1. ln a machine for punching and forming plates or other articles from paper or other sheet material, the combination 0 means for supporting the sheet material in position, and cutting and forming mechanism for cutting out fiat portions of such sheet material and thereafter forming each portion into the desired article, having rovisions whereby all forming is done w ile the article being formed is moving toward the point of discharge thereof.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1, said cutting and forming means comprising a stationary cutting ring, a movable cutting ring co-operating with said stationary ring to cut out a flat section of the sheet material, a lower-stationary die ring having forming means on its inner circumference, disposed immediately below said movable cutting ring, so that the cut-out section of sheet material will rest upon said stationary die ring, an upper positively and unyieldingly operated forming die having forming means on its outer circumference movable in said movable cutting ring to co-operate with and en ter said stationary die ring to convert said cut-out section into a plate having upturned and fluted'edges, and means for actuating said movable cutting ring and said movable forming die to produce the desired result.

3. A structure as specified in claim 1, said cutting and forming means comprising a reciprocating forming element, a reciprocating cutting element, and toggle connections whereby the reciprocating motion of the forming element is communicated to said cutting element, whereby the cutting element operates first to cut the sheet material, and whereby said forming element operates to thereafter form the cut-out section of sheet. material.

a. A structure as specified in claim 1, said cutting and forming means comprising cooperating forming dies, and (Jo-operating cutting dies actuated to operate in advance of said forming dies, but with the cutting and forming so close together that they constitute practically onfe operation.

5. A structure as specified in claim 1', said cutting and forming means comprising a cutter, oppositely disposed toggles to support said cutter, a forming member, means to reciprocate said forming member, and

Nil

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links to communicate the reciprocating motion of said forming member to said toggles to actuate said cutter.

6. A structure as specified in claim 1, in combination with means for holding a container in position to receive the articles from said forming means, and whereby the forming operation serves to force the articles into said container, and to compress them therein for shipment and sale to the consumer, so that said container With the compressed articles therein is the ultimate product of said machine.

7. A structure as specified in claim 1, in combination with a guide to hold a paper tube in position to receive the articles from said forming means, and means .to hold the tube in said guide, serving also to close the end' of said tube.

8. A structure as specified in claim 1, in combination with feed mechanism operative to automatically feed said sheet material to said forming means, in a step-bystep manner, and a power device operating about a horizontal axis for operating both the forming means and said feeding means.

9. In a machine for converting paper or other sheet material into butter plates or other articles, the combination of cutting and forming means to cut out sections of the sheet material and form them into the desired articles. and feeding mechanism for intermittently feedingv the sheet material to said forming means, said feeding mechanism comprising a reciprocating slide to support the sheet material, a feed dog pivoted on said slide to engage the upper surface of the sheet material, a' link pivotally connected to said feed dog, and devices to operate said link to reciprocate the slide and cause the feed dog to move forward with the sheet material andthen backward over t-he'surface of said material, While the sheet remains stationary, said feed dog thereby having the double function of communicating power to said reciprocating slide, and of clamping the material thereon, together with means common to said feeding and cutting and forming means for the actuation thereof in properly timed relation.

10. A structure as described in claim 9, in combination with a spring device to yieldingly oppose the upward movement of said feed dog.

11. A structure as specified in claim 9, said devices comprising a bell crank piv- Otally mounted and connected to operate said link, and a pitman connected to operate said bell crank.

12. A structure as specified in claim 9, said slide having a stationary guide therefor, and a plate connected to said slide and yieldingly held against the under side of said gui e.

13. A. structure as specified in claim .9,

in combination with a detent or dog to engage the sheet material and prevent backward movement thereof, said detent and feed dog and forming means being disposed in line with each other and in such position that the sheet material first enga es the detent and then the feed dog, and nally said feeding means.

14. In a machine for cutting and forming sheet material into the desired articles, a cutting ring, a reciprocating forming member, and toggle means actuated by the reciprocating motion of said forming member to actuate said cutting member.

15. A structure as specified in claim 14, said cutting member being a ring with a circular cutting edge, and said forming member being disposed in position to reciprocate within said ring, in combination with a stationary cutter to co-operate with said ring, and a forming ring into which said forming member enters to form the article.

16. A structure as specified in claim 1, in combination with a plate having a circular opening for said forming means, adapted to rest upon the sheet material, and a device to support said plate for up and down movement.

I 17. In a machine for punching and forming plates or other articles from paper or other sheet material, the combination of means for supporting the sheet material inposition, and cutting and forming mechanism for cutting out portions of such sheet material and forming each portion into the desired article, said cutting and forming means comprising a reciprocating forming element, a reciprocating cutting element, and toggle connections whereby the reciprocating motion of the forming element is communicated to said cutting element,

whereby the cutting element operates first to cut the sheet material, and whereby said forming element operates to thereafter form the cut-out section ofsheet material.

18. In a machine for punching and forming plates or other articles from paper or other sheet material, the combination of means for supporting the sheet material in position, and cutting and forming mechanism for cutting out portions of such sheet material and forming each portion into the desired article, said cutting and forming means comprising a cutter, oppositely disposed toggles to support said cutter, a

forming member, means to reciprocate said forming member, and links to communicate the reciprocating motion of said forming member to said toggles to actuate said cutter. 1

19. In a machine for punching and forming plates or other articles from paper or other sheet material, the combination of means for supporting the sheet material in position, and cutting and forming mechanism for cutting out portions of such sheet material and forming each portion into the desired article, in combination with means for holding a container in position to receive the articles from said forming means, and whereby the forming operation serves to force the articles into said container, and to compress them therein for shipment and sale to the consumer, so that said container with the compressed articles therein is the ultimate product of said machine.

20. In a machine for punching and forming plates or other articles from paper or other sheet material, the combination of means for supporting the sheet material in position, and cutting and forming mechanism for cutting out portions of such sheet material and forming each portion into the desired article, in combination with a guide to hold a paper tube in position to receive the articles from said forming means, and means to hold the tube in said guide, serving also to close the end of said tube.

21. In a machine for punching and forming plates or other articles from paper or other sheet material, the combination of means for supporting the sheet material in position, and cutting and forming mechanism for cutting out portions of such sheet material and forming each port-ion into the desired article, in combination with a plate having a circular opening for said forming means, adapted to rest upon the sheet material, and a device to support said plate for up and down movement.

ELLSWORTH L. LAKE. 

